Hi! Once again, I am presenting a horror-themed story using the Hetalia characters. Welcome to Rattles and Cradle! Obviously, this story will include a baby. This is obviously AU and a bit OOC; I will also employ minimal use of characters. This is also a bit PruAus in the making. I hope you will have fun! (There's something about the names of the cities, and the German readers- or those who understood German- will notice that. Kesesese-)

This is set in modern day and in an area with some special circumstances. The places are fictional as well as the events if ever. This is pure imagination at work- with the help of some resources from some movies and series that I watched before.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Hetalia: everything belongs to Hima-papa. Though I have some resources, none came from any story written in . Plot and dialogue are mein wassermelone!

Warnings: Gore, horror, strong language and some scary shit that could discourage people. Some hints of shounen-ai, I think. I also need to constantly remind you guys of jumping POVs.

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Rattles and Cradle

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Summary: Hi, my name is Roderich. I'm a jobless man living with a non-relative that feeds me. Meet Max; he's a child from the streets, and I decided to keep him. However, it seemed like he's not the only one I brought in here.

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Rattles and Cradle

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Rounded blue orbs stared at me as I sit across him in the lounge. He was on the sofa, holding the baby bottle that he wouldn't give back. It was already filled and emptied several times, and now, he just liked to keep it. Instead of sleeping, he would stare back at me. I don't have a crib for him yet so I need Gilbert to buy one. To think about it, it's that fool's pay day today.

It was supposed to be a normal Friday afternoon, aside from the failed Milchreis Day. There was supposed to be a field day for the city- its foundation day- but no one dared to go outside their homes. An unknown kind of disease plagued the city and caused the city gate closure. With the city gates closed, only the Apfel City Line was the access to the city. Horrendous procedures were done just to enter and exit Milchreis through the Line, bothering all the remaining people who are employed outside Milchreis. Unfortunately, my flatmate was one of those people.

His name was Gilbert Beilschmidt, and he's a QCA manager somewhere in Apfel. I'll just say he looks a bit unique since his hair is naturally platinum blond and his eyes are blazing red. He's also some sort of a foolish asshole- plain stupid wouldn't be enough. But he feeds me even though I do housework with fifty-percent success rate. Somehow, I should be thankful the whole time.

It was quite a long story how I get to stay here with Gilbert for seven years now. We don't have much connection for him to keep me; we just met each other back in tenth grade in a school in Milchreis. But he's not a bad flatmate- a good one if anything. He's not littering, and he cleans up after himself. I just hope he wouldn't mind having Max around.

The main door knob began to shift, keys clinking from the other side. The door then opened, revealing an exhausted person with a heavy work bag. He walked to the lounge and almost died on the floor as he fell on his hands and knees.

"Argh, those procedures are draining the sh-"

"We have a guest." I interrupted him all of a sudden, earning a glare from the fool. He then sat down on the floor and looked around only to see child on the sofa. I could tell that his red orbs met with those blue ones, causing a moment of staring between them. Dropping the bag on the floor, he then smiled and got up to pet the child.

"Hi, little fellow! Did your mother come and see this guy?" He greeted the child enthusiastically, but the child only stared at him. Gilbert hummed happily as he waited for a response from the child. Any response would do, but none came. I just had to break the almost silence.

"I found him walking around alone in the streets. I just decided to keep him and call him Max."

"-You brought a child in?"

"Yes, I brought a child in."

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Rattles and Cradle

Rei Haruno- Sakura no Imooto

Chapter 1: I Brought a Child In

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It was just starting to snow so the streets were only covered in a thin layer of the white fluffy road bitch. In our thick coats, Gilbert and I decided to take Max to the rundown city police station. It hasn't been much in use because crimes had gone haywire yet they can only help a few. A lot of manpower was pulled out during the prime of the plague; another fifty-percent was deployed in the Apfel City Line Station 7, 9 and 10. But Gilbert was pretty sure Max's parents would still look for him.

We had that conversation for quite a long while, and it ended with me being forced to just get it done. I really wanted to take care of this poor child, but Gilbert said I couldn't because he's someone else's child. (Though he emphasized that we couldn't leave him alone if ever he had no parents now.) I didn't know what I was expecting from the police, but I really wished he could stay.

Soon, Gilbert and I reached the station, only to find a lot of people in the reception. Children were also there and waiting with some adults that may or may not be their parents. I could hear Gilbert growl in annoyance before he dragged me to sit down with him at some vacant seats.

"I wonder what's going on." It was all I could say upon seeing a child cry in the shoulders of an adult woman as they walked out from a room. Gilbert only sighed and stretched before checking his watch, "We should have eaten dinner before coming. This will take a long-"

"Excuse me, how can we help you?" A female officer came to us. I exchanged gazes with the fool before he said, "Uh, we're reporting for a lost child. My flatmate saw him walking alone in the streets."

The girl then smiled at us and gestured us to follow her. We did, and we were brought to the bulletin board where posters of missing people were posted. We both began checking posters for anyone that might fit Max's description. The female officer then started talking, "The last report came in three days ago. If he's not one of them, then his parents might have been killed by the plague, too. Like those children. A whole office was affected by the plague earlier; everyone was found dead."

She sighed before continuing, "We couldn't do much about things. If that kid's parents are already gone, I guess you should just keep him until, you know. You guys look very able. You should leave Milchreis soon- if you think you could get out, that is."

"Poor little fella." Gilbert whispered as he finished looking through the missing posters. The female officer just bid goodbye before assisting other people. I looked at Gilbert, and he just looked at me and at Max.

"I don't like where this is going."

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Rattles and Cradles

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I couldn't believe he suddenly acted like a proper adult and adopted an orphan child. It's not like I disagree with that- I would have probably done the same. The problem is that he's not the one paying for the child's sustenance.

I was just keeping those thoughts to myself as we walked along the almost empty streets of Milchreis. The city was closed down from the threat of a plague, and the only people who could leave are those who work outside the city- those who weren't laid off, that is. I held a high position in my company. Without me, they'll be having a hard time so they couldn't just kick me out.

Even though a lot were 'trapped' inside the city, only a few dared to walk around the city now. Every other establishment was closed; no more entertainment mall, or beer house, or pubs and clubs. The same goes for the people; no bystanders, pedestrians, or even over-time working adults. We're literally the only people walking around: me, Roddie and Max.

We're supposed to find a crib and grab some chow, but it was past six in the evening; most are already off-business in the new Milchreis. We could just go around and find a crib- or anything that we could make a crib out of it. About the chow, we should just do it at home; eating at home had been quite a practice anyway. The only establishment open were the department store and some convenient stores- somehow, we'll test our luck.

"I don't feel good walking in the baby section with you." Roddie muttered as soon as we got in the department store. I could only glare at him as I led them to the second storey where the section was. The mall was quite deserted already, but we still have the attendants to give us the weird looks. I then sighed to reply, "Who wants to walk in there with you, anyway? Well, aside from Eli."

Eli would certainly do that, but she's quite the irrelevant person at the moment.

We reached the section and looked around for anything a baby boy will need: the crib, some toys, some clothes, and food stuff. An attendant came to us and greeted us with a tired, kind smile, "Hi, would you like to buy a crib for, uh, your baby?"

"Ah, yes, please. But something with a different design. Do you have-?" Roddie dealt with the items; I'm too tired to actually criticize stuff right now. I would just look around the store some more, straying away from them about a shelf or two. I found myself in the mirror section, checking out some in the shelf. I raised one and tried to find Roddie and Max in my view- but I got to see something else.

There was a dark faded image by the shelf next to the one behind me. I couldn't tell what it was like, but I could feel eyes from that direction glaring towards me. I turned to the shelf where it should be, but nothing was there. I must be really tired now. Tired and scared. Anyway, I just brought the mirror down without looking at it again. I walked back to where Roddie and Max were, seeing some male attendants bring a disassembled crib to the two.

"I just thought the first one was too simple. This one looks better." Roddie said as the attendants started to assemble the crib. I crouched down to look at the parts as they assembled it. Roddie calls something 'simple' when it doesn't look expensive and elegant, and that reflected again in his crib choice. Some ornaments were gem-like- my image and the background poorly reflected on one.

I saw it again.

The mysterious dark figure was beside the shelf behind me again. I just had to look at where it was before double-checking the reflection. It wasn't there anymore, but I just have a feeling that we should leave now.

I got up and said okay to the crib, and they had it packed again. I just noticed Roddie was already sporting a cart filled with a lot of things. He would just say shit about why I have to buy those if I confronted him about them anyway. Besides, Max will hear us bicker- not good for a baby. He was neither from any of us, but it didn't seat well to fight in front of a poor baby.

All I could do was to check everything in the cart before we check those out. Everything cost half my pay check; guess who's going to murder a Roderich Edelstein out the child's sight. It was past seven when we reached home. The only food place open was a fast food chain, and no Roderich Edelstein eats in a fast food chain so we just went home- he should start matching his lifestyle with his financial status!

Anyway, Roddie was in charge of cooking while I set up the crib in the dining room for now. Max was there with me, seated on his brand-new kiddy chair facing my direction. He was not one to make a lot of sounds so I had to check up on him almost every five minutes. It didn't take me long before assembling it completely- plus the mattress and pillows that would be there with him.

"Okay, little guy, up you go~" I chuckled loudly as I pulled him off the kiddy chair and laid him down inside the crib. I then crouched down to pet him, getting low enough to get his face in my eye level. His blue eyes would just look back at me until he- well, for the first time today, he started laughing and giggling.

He looked so sweet and nice. I feel like my exhaustion was disappearing- heheh, well, Roddie isn't actually looking~

I couldn't contain myself. I gave in to the urge of carrying him in my arms and tried to play with him with a rattle that we bought back then, too. His small arms would reach out to hold the rattle; his laughter filled with joy. The fact that he was an orphan hit me again and made me sad. I hope that his smile wouldn't disappear after knowing what an orphan is.

I was having my moment with Max, and that was when I felt the same gaze I felt back in the department store. I flung my head towards the windows, but the curtain was drawn, making it impossible for me to see what's outside. Our flat was on the fourth storey- so maybe, just maybe, it's impossible to have someone creep by our window this late in the evening.

Trying to see outside, I walked towards the window to check it. But my body trembled in instinct, as if something was telling me not to look. Max stopped laughing as well; he might have felt that the tension winning over me. My hand took a hold of the curtain-

"GILBERT!"

"Fuck. What is it!?" I couldn't help but to curse out loud as Roddie called for me from the kitchen. I had to ignore the feeling and just walked to where he was. My annoyed look greeted him as I walked on him preparing the plates in the kitchen. He only frowned at me before asking, "Did you hit your hand against something?"

"Not really. Are you done yet?"

"Just some more minutes, and it's good to go." He would answer before giving us a second look, "Why are you carrying Max?" His gaze turned into a frown as I just stared back at him. It went worse when I just decided to grin before talking, "Nothing really. I just wanted to carry him. He's not yours so don't get all too possessive."

"Fine." Roddie just answered with a huff and continued fixing our dinner.

I walked towards the table and sat down at my seat. I continued cooing at Max as he kept on laughing and giggling. What a very happy fellow! I would be thankful to Roddie if only he's not Roddie to be honest. Soon plates were being laid in front of me, and Roddie looked at me as if ordering me to get the kiddy chair so we could all eat. (Of course, Max had to eat first.)

With that, I had him take Max after he completed setting the table and the food. I walked to where the chair was only to feel the gaze again from the window. This time, I walked to the window and moved the curtain to reveal the view outside. The streets were starting to whiten as the snow started to fall again. Aside from that, everything seemed to be doing fine.

"Gilbert? What are you looking at?"

"Nothing really." I just whispered before I slowly let the curtain slide down to cover the view. However, before it completely did, it seemed that someone just appeared from the neighbor's window. It was meters away from our flat, but I could see their window clearly from ours. I grabbed the curtain to show the view again to see our neighbor begging for help. But soon, he ran off to a direction where blood suddenly oozed from.

Another hand grabbed the curtain to cover the window. I turned to Roddie who was beside me and holding Max who was faced in the other direction. He then whispered, "Just call police. Don't go out there."

"Someone's murdering our neighbor-"

"And that someone could be at our doorstep soon. Imagine that happening when you're out there. You don't really care about me, but what about Max?"

"-I care about you enough to keep you alive."

But then again, he's right. I couldn't go out there. I just grabbed my phone and dialed the police hotline. It took me minutes before reconnecting, seeing Roddie check up on the neighbor from a different window- one that was not in the direct view of the window I looked at.

"Don't let them see you, Roddie." I whispered, and he just answered while trying to see more of the other house, "There are still people moving around in the house. I'm not sure how many burglars there are."

I'm supposed to answer back, but the call went through the line already.

"Hello, Milchreis PD."

"I'm reporting a burglary in progress at 56-"

"Gilbert!"

I was already talking to the officer when Roddie called me with a freakish voice. Hurrying over to him, I had him make me look at the neighbor's house. The whole second floor had its windows painted with something reddish. We didn't see anyone leave the house, but there were shadows speeding from the main door. They were shaped like humans, but they crept around instead of speed-walking or running.

One then stopped moving. By then, we saw that it had broader shoulders, longer arms, bigger hands and a shorter torso. It turned to our direction, and I instinctively pulled them away from the view of the window.

Our asses might have hurt because of that bad landing, but we could care less about the pain. None of us made a sound about what we just saw; we were just looking at each other with our confused, frightened eyes. What we saw wasn't human, and we both know it wasn't just our imagination.

"H-Hello? You're reporting a burglary in progress at where?"

The voice of the officer sounded louder from the phone, and we were left staring at each other for a while. Soon, Max started crying in Roddie's shoulder. I held the phone firmly again.

"I think our neighbors were murdered by monsters."

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End of Chapter 1

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Thank you for reading! Please review! My anon review is on. :D